How to Cut and Eat a Pomegranate

Getting the Most of this Favorite Flavorful Fall Fruit

Oct 10, 2008

Late October to early November is the best time to get pomegranates. At this time they are the most ripe and delicious. But they can be hard to eat.

The best place to buy a pomegranate is your local Farmer's Market. They would be the ripest there, with the seeds all plump, red, and juicy. Most local grocery stores will carry pomegranates as well, but they may not always be as fresh as you can get at your Farmer's Market.

Cutting and eating a pomegranate is not always easy. Most would agree, though, that the effort is worth the reward of having a delicious and nutritious fruit that is not available to us year-round. Use the directions provided below to help you get the most out of this flavorful fall fruit.

Cutting a Pomegranate

Make sure you are wearing something old, because pomegranate juice tends to squirt out easily and will cause stains on any surface it touches. It will even stain a wooden cutting board. If this is all you have, vinegar or lemon juice will get the color out. Using a plastic cutting board is the best. Be sure and work near the sink.

Step 1: Have a large bowl handy, and fill it with at least 1/4 cup of water. This way, the skin and membranes will float to the top, while the seeds will sink to the bottom. This makes separating the seeds easier.

Step 2: Using a chef's knife, make a cut through the crown of the pomegranate about halfway. Pry open the fruit the rest of the way with your fingers. It is best to hold the fruit over a bowl while you are doing this. That way any loose seeds and juice will fall into the bowl.

Step 3: Make a second cut from the crown about halfway down the fruit. Again pry it open the rest of the way with your fingers. Use your fingers to pry away the seeds from the peel and inside membranes.

Step 1: Another way is to cut off the crown completely. Then cut the pomegranate into five or six sections, cutting about half way through the fruit with each cut.

Step 2: Set the pomegranate in a bowl of room temperature water for about ten minutes. Then break the pieces apart. The seeds will come away from the skin and membranes easier after soaking in the water.

Step 3: Strain out the seeds from the water and skim out the peel and membranes. Enjoy the juicy, delicious seeds.

Save the juice, as it is filled with precious antioxidants that can help with autoimmune diseases, as well as other health problems. You can drink the juice by pouring it in a glass after cutting the pomegranate.

Juicing a Pomegranate

If you want the juice from a pomegranate, roll the fruit along a hard surface, such as a countertop. This will literally burst open the seeds from within the fruit. Keep using a back and forth motion to break open all of the seeds. After this, cut or puncture the pomegranate with a sharp knife and let the juice drain out into a bowl or a cup.

If you have a blender, you can put the seeds, a cup at a time, in a blender and just pulse it enough to break the seeds. Push the juice through a fine sieve with a rubber spatula. At this point, you can add sugar to taste.

Ways to Eat a Pomegranate

Pomegranates are delicious, even though they can be hard to prepare. But, it is worth it. Remember, the seeds will only keep for two or three days in the refrigerator if you put them in an airtight container.

Pomegranate Facts

Pomegranates have a very distinct flavor, which most people either love or dislike. It is an acquired taste for many. If you have been looking for a healthy and unique treat, you just discovered the pomegranate.

The copyright of the article How to Cut and Eat a Pomegranate in Food Trends is owned by Denise Oliveri. Permission to republish How to Cut and Eat a Pomegranate in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.